Portraits in Plaid: Kelly

2014 was Kelly's rookie year, but she's already said she'll be back in 2016. Kelly marched back in the late 70's with a short-lived corps in Illinois called The Firemen and then in the early 80s with the Skokie Imperial Cadets, but after her junior year of high school she dropped the activity in favor of working jobs and saving up for college. "I marched in my college's non-competitive color guard during all four years there," says Kelly. " I loved being in color guard and even kept my rifle from my college years, which I would take out occasionally to spin." Kelly says the idea of joining a drum corps as a "grown-up" never really occurred to her, until a summer evening in 2013 when she tarted a conversation with a Kilties instructor upon seeing her corps jacket. "I mentioned that I had been in drum corps in grade school and high school," remembers Kelly. "The rest, as they say, is history."

Memories from 2014? "Gosh, I have so many!," says Kelly, "from one of the earliest kamps, I remember our guard instructor telling us some key Kilties history and traditions, explaining the high emotion and meaning to Kilties alumni about our corps song, Auld Lang Syne. Then seeing that lived out at our historic Kilties home show and alumni gathering, watching my fellow guard member holding the hand of a Kiltie alumni who last marched with the Kilties well before she was born - I was sobbing by the end of Syne, and in a good way. I've developed many friendships in the past year that I know I will keep for hopefully many years to come. Another favorite memory was having to get a smaller kilt before our last parade!!"

Kelly says she became involved with the Kilties to challenge herself, primarily to make some personal changes with respect to moving more and becoming a more healthy weight. She says she largely ahs the same goals looking forward to 2015, but she also wants to improve as a performer and expand her abilities on equipment and movement. "I cannot wait to find out what our music and show will be!!! And of course I am looking forward to reuniting with my Kilties friends and making new ones!"

Want to join the 2017 Kilties? Go to www.kilties.com to find out more and complete an online interest form.